Audio By Carbonatix
J. Cole is having quite the weekend with not only the Friday release of his album, "The Off-Season," but also his debut in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Cole's first points for the Patriots Basketball Club in Rwanda were filmed and tweeted by the league Sunday. He signed with the team last week, according to ESPN.
"Jermaine Cole follow-up for his first points for @PatriotsBBC"Â the league tweeted.
Jermaine Cole follow-up for his first points for @PatriotsBBC #theBAL pic.twitter.com/juw5TAOYhf
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 16, 2021
Cole himself also joked about playing in Rwanda by posting a meme on his Instagram with the caption: "Me in Rwanda trying to remember these plays."
Cole played basketball in high school and was a walk-on at St. John's University in Queens, New York, before turning his focus to music, according to ESPN.
He also spoke about basketball in the YouTube short "Applying Pressure: The Off-Season Documentary" and how he realized he needed to approach his music like he had once approached basketball: by putting in the work. He came to this realization when his friends had an informal intervention for him during the early part of his career.
"After that, I thought about basketball and why I ain't make it in basketball," Cole admitted.
He added that he loved to play, but by the time he was around 22, he realized that he didn't make it because he didn't put in the work to improve his on-the-court skills.
Cole said in the video he didn't want to look back 20 years down the road and think "the reason you didn't make it in music was because you didn't put in the work."
Later in the video, Cole says, he realized that being better in music was like getting better in a sport."When I really, really fell in love with rap, it was a matter of like sport. I started realizing the parallels between rapping for me and basketball," Cole said. "I gotta operate at a high skill level and the only way you're going to operate at a high skill level is putting in the hours."
Latest Stories
-
WASSCE decline reveals deep gaps, there’s need to overhaul education system – Franklin Cudjoe
17 minutes -
JOY FM Drive Time host Lexis Bill leads fans up Aburi Mountain in energetic ‘Walk With Lexis’ fitness experience
24 minutes -
2026 World Cup: Ghana to open campaign in Toronto against Panama
39 minutes -
President Mahama, Lordina support retired Assemblies of God pastors, widows with medical care and Christmas gifts
54 minutes -
2025/26 GPL: Nations FC fight back to claim 2-1 win over Heart of Lions
57 minutes -
Tanzania responds to international criticism over October post-election events
1 hour -
Burkina Faso plans to restore death penalty for treason, terrorism, espionage
1 hour -
One killed, 27 arrested in Tamale police operation
1 hour -
GTDC calls for synergy as its marketplace gains global traction
1 hour -
ADB lauds gov’t’s agricultural initiatives, commits to providing needed support
1 hour -
US Embassy hosts World Cup draw watch party, fans upbeat about Ghana’s chances
2 hours -
If Sammy Darko were in Police Service, he wouldn’t even be a Superintendent – Martin Kpebu
2 hours -
Minister rejects claims of political bias as NDC Regional chair is named North East Best Farmer
2 hours -
Notorious Ashaiman robber arrested in joint police operation
2 hours -
OSP says probe into SML predates Manasseh Azure Awini’s petition
2 hours
